(Advance) Obituaries & Ethical Wills/Legacy Letters

(Advance) Obituaries

Modern Memoirs, Inc. is pleased to provide (Advance) Obituary writing services to clients. Our writers have personal experience in crafting meaningful obituaries that honor the essence of a person’s life, and we are happy to share samples of our work. We deliver beautiful tributes that evoke the heart and soul of our clients and their loved ones, and while nothing is more important to us than the potential of our writing to comfort the bereaved, we also take pride in moments when someone who didn’t know the deceased well (or at all) reads an obituary we’ve written and says, “I feel like I know them now.”

You will receive the (Advance) Obituary in the form of a PDF or Word document. Most finished pieces fall within 1,000-1,500 words. Longer pieces may incur additional fees. A flat fee of $1,000 covers the cost of:

• Client Communications, including:

  • A Letter of Agreement signed by the client who is paying for the service and outlining the planned work schedule. (Payment is due in full at this time.)

  • Modern Memoirs’ review of a Pre-Interview Form to be completed and submitted by the subject of the obituary, or completed and submitted by someone else on their behalf.

  • Review of emailed contributions by those absent from the interview who wish to add information or ideas to the writing.

  • Solicitation of feedback from client regarding the Draft.

• Interview (1-1.5 hours, in-person, or via phone or video-conference)

• Drafting (one draft)

• Revision (one round, if requested)

For an Advance Obituary as part of one’s end-of-life planning: In most cases the subject of the writing would be the main interviewee, though others are welcome to participate should this be desired. A Modern Memoirs representative will conduct the interview at a mutually agreeable time (and place, if in person) after receiving the completed Pre-Interview Form. Others unable to participate in the interview are welcome to offer emailed notes to the interviewer before or during the agreed-upon drafting stage. Then, the interviewer would draft the obituary for the client’s review. One round of revisions is offered to the client.

For an Obituary written in the aftermath of a person’s death: Modern Memoirs will contract with one paying client, but the interview may include additional people participating in person, or via phone or video conference. The other stages outlined above will be the same, including the possibility for people to contribute notes via email before and during the drafting stage. We understand the need for a quick turn-around in some cases, and we will honestly assess our ability to provide prompt, compassionate communications and service in a time of grief and need.

Please note that many newspapers have restrictions regarding the placement of personally written obituaries, and most will charge a per-inch or per-word fee for publication. On the other hand, many funeral homes post tributes free-of-charge on their sites. The writing service that Modern Memoirs, Inc. provides does not include placing the obituary for publication, nor researching newspaper and funeral home policies.

For related or more in-depth projects, please inquire about Modern Memoirs Ethical Wills and Legacy Letters, as well as Tribute Books, comprised of an obituary, eulogies, photos, an ethical will or legacy letter (see description below), and other materials collected to honor and preserve the memory of a loved one.

Ethical Wills/Legacy Letters

Modern Memoirs is honored to provide you with support in writing Ethical Wills, also known as Legacy Letters. These are not legal documents; they are heartfelt communications of the intangible gifts—hopes, dreams, wisdom, and values—that a person wishes to pass on to their loved ones. Often shared publicly while the writer is still living, Ethical Wills (Zava'ah in Hebrew) have a long history, particularly in the Jewish faith community. They can provide you with a powerful experience of life-review, and give your loved ones comfort, inspiration, encouragement, and a long-lasting sense of connection.

Where to begin? That’s where Modern Memoirs comes in. We will interview and then draft your Ethical Will/Legacy Letter to share as you wish. You will receive the finished piece in the form of a PDF or Word document. Most pieces fall within 1,000-1,500 words. Longer pieces may incur additional fees. A flat fee of $1,000 covers the cost of:

• Client Communications, including:

  • A Letter of Agreement signed by the Client and outlining the planned work schedule. (Payment is due in full at this time.)

  • Modern Memoirs’ review of a Pre-Interview Form

  • Solicitation of feedback regarding the Draft

• Interview (1-1.5 hours, in-person, or via phone or video-conference)

• Drafting

• Revision (One round of revisions is offered.)

For related services, please inquire about Modern Memoirs (Advance) Obituaries, as well as Tribute Books to be published after one’s death as an heirloom to give to loved ones. Tribute Books can include: the Ethical Will/Legacy Letter, as well as an obituary, eulogies, photos, and other materials collected to honor and preserve one’s memory and to give comfort to the bereaved.